The Choice
by esn1966
Summary: Choices have consequences. What will Chloe do when faced with a difficult choice? WARNING: Major character death, strong language, intense themes and some violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: UPDATE: I have gone through this piece and did some edits but no major changes. This work is un-beta'd so any mistakes are my own.

At the sound of gunfire, Lucifer returned to where he had left the Detective as that seemed to be where the shots came from. They had split up in order to search the rail yard more effectively. Having chased the miscreant and his cronies into the yard, they had managed to lose them. Rounding the building, he saw the Detective leaning against a pile of pallets. He called out to her but she must not have heard him because she didn't move. When he got closer, he called out again and this time she turned. She had a strange look on her face and then he saw the blood. She was clutching her stomach, trying to stem the flow of blood. She looked up at him and said his name before she pitched forward. He was there instantly and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Det…Chloe! Open your eyes love," he called to her, caressing her face. Holding her up and putting his hand over hers, he applied pressure on the wound. She had been wearing her vest but the bullet must have hit her just below it.

Her eyes fluttered open, "Lucifer." Her voice a mere breath on the night air.

"Hold on, Chloe, hold on. I'll call for help." He reached for his phone only to have her grab his hand.

"I think – I think it's too late for that." There was no pain but she could feel the cold seeping into her extremities. She wasn't afraid.

"No, no, no. You have to hang on, love. You can't leave me." He begged her, attempting to will her to stay alive. But if she wouldn't let him call for help, there was something else he could do.

Reaching behind his shoulder, he pulled one of his covet feathers. It was small and downy and glowed slightly with his divinity. He placed the feather on her wound and watched as it shone brighter for just a moment before going dull and turning red as it soaked up her blood.

Undeterred, he reached back again but plucked one of the larger feathers and tried it but the effect was the same. It glowed brighter at first then dulled. He didn't know why it wasn't working.

"It's not working. Why is it not working? Why?!" His voice was shaking and tears were streaming down his face but he was oblivious to it all. He reached back again but she stopped him, shaking her head.

"Stop," she mouthed, air barely leaving her lips. He was lost. All he could think about was that the Detective was dying and he was powerless to stop it. "Father, please no," was his whispered prayer.

Chloe looked up into his face and saw his tears. He shouldn't be crying, not for her. It was alright. She must have said that out loud because he locked eyes with her and said, "no, it's not alright. Nothing would be right ever again."

She didn't like to see him in pain but she was so tired and her limbs felt so heavy and she knew this was the end. A vision of her daughter floated across her mind's eye. She could see her radiant smile and mop of unruly curls and her heart ached that she would not see her again but Trixie would be okay. Everything would be okay, all she had to do was let go. But before she did, she had to do one thing, had to tell him one last thing and hope it would be enough for him to continue on without her. She hoped.

"I…love…you." She reached up to touch his face as the breath left her body and the world went black.

Light.

The concept, a mere figment in the ether, became a solid thought when a title was assigned to it. Yes, light. Light everywhere and nowhere which could be seen with (eyes?). Yes, eyes. Eyes to see. Eyes in a face. (Her?) face. Yes, that was right, also. She had a face with eyes to see and a head that was attached to a body. Each thought that became truth formed the body she now saw with her eyes. It was her body; she could tell by its familiarity and with that familiarity came a name. A name she knew to be her own.

Chloe

With the name came memories. Memories of a life, of loved ones. Her parents, her daughter, her friends and one name stood out among them.

Lucifer

When she thought the name the light became brighter, warmer; surrounding her and filling her and she knew it was good.

She smiled and looked down at herself and realized that she was naked. She wasn't self-conscious but when she thought that maybe it would be better to have clothes, she was instantly covered in her favorite outfit. That was nice.

How long she had been there, she didn't know. She didn't even know where here was but she wasn't worried. The light was peaceful and wouldn't allow her to worry. She could be patient.

Then there was a change. It started as a speck on the horizon, or would have been on the horizon if there was one. It steadily grew larger but whether it was because it was coming toward her or she was moving toward it, she couldn't tell. There was no perception of movement.

When to object got closer, she began to discern a shape but still couldn't tell what it was. The shape constantly changed, one minute it was large, the next, it was small. Sometimes tall, sometimes short. She shook her head at the confusing nature of the object until it finally settled on one shape as it came within a few feet of her.

It was a tall black man. He was wearing a white suit with a light grey shirt and tie. He had salt-n-pepper curly hair and freckles across his wide nose. His eyes would have been kind if they weren't shining with an otherworldliness. After a moment she realized he looked familiar. It was Morgan Freeman.

Well, actually He only looked like Mr. Freeman because she knew who He really was. She felt it in her innermost self. The being currently looking at her from the face of Morgan Freeman was Lucifer's Father.

God had showed up.

"Hello, Chloe," the Morgan/not-Morgan said. He had a kind voice and a friendly smile.

"Why do you look like Morgan Freeman?" she asked. Not the question He was expecting based on the surprised look on His face.

"I wished to speak with you and seeing as I have no corporeal form, I let you pick the one I would use. I thank you," God said looking down at Himself, "I have always liked Mr. Freeman."

She decided to go with it. She didn't know why she would choose that image unless it was from that awful movie that Dan liked so much. She didn't care for the main actor but she did think that Morgan Freeman did an excellent job portraying the Creator. And it did make talking to the Almighty easier.

"Am I dead?" She had a feeling she already knew the answer to that one but she asked anyway.

"I would say that you are 'mostly dead'," God replied.

She looked at Him, trying to read His face. "Did you – just quote The Princess Bride?" She must have lost her mind. It would certainly make sense of what was happening.

"Perhaps," He said, "I do love that movie." He said no more at that point; simply stood there with a slight upturning of His lips.

"Where are we?" If He was God, then He should have all the answers, right?

"Do you not know? Is nothing familiar?" He looked at her not unkindly, more like a teacher waiting for their star student to work out the correct answer.

She started to tell Him of course nothing was familiar since there was nothing here but light but then she paused. There was something about the light, wasn't there? Something that when she tried to grasp it, it eluded her but suddenly, it came to her.

"Lucifer." It came out as a statement not a question.

"Very good, my dear. I see why you were such a good detective." God smiled as He complimented her. "This is, you might say, the source of Samael's light."

"He doesn't like that name." For the first time since she came back to herself, she felt something other than peace. She felt anger.

"Yes, he goes by Lucifer now, doesn't he? A name he chose for himself." Again, God just looked at her expectantly.

What was she supposed to take from that? What was he trying to tell her? Did he have a problem with his name? Lucifer meant Lightbringer and that was who he was, right? Then it hit her. Choice. He chose his name.

"He has free will, doesn't he?" She was dumbfounded. God's smile just got larger and she knew she was right.

"Oh, you are wonderful. Yes, he does. They all do actually. Sam –," He paused when she glared at Him, "I mean, Lucifer was the first to use his."

"Why did you not tell him?", her anger rising at the absurdity of it all. How could he not tell them? Tell Lucifer. He started a rebellion over the issue. "How could you let him rebel over something he already had?"

"Oh, that was easy, I wanted him to rebel." God told her simply.

Chloe was floored. How could he be so blasé? Before she could stop herself, she slapped him.


	2. Chapter 2

She had slapped God. Suddenly she was very afraid and cast her eyes down. She was probably about to be smote out of existence but at least she had given dear ol' Dad a good one to the face.

Instead, she heard Him start to chuckle followed but a deep guffaw. When she looked back up, she saw God holding His face and laughing, moisture glistening in His ancient eyes.

"You are angry with Me," He exclaimed, good naturedly. "You must really love My son." God had finally gotten Himself under control and was looking at her with affection.

"I do. Very much," she affirmed, straightening her shoulders.

"I'm glad," He looked down at her, "Walk with Me." He turned and started walking, not looking back, expecting her to follow. After a moment, she did.

Neither spoke for some time. Chloe couldn't believe she actually struck the Almighty but she had felt such anger on Lucifer's behalf. She needed more answers but she waited until she felt that her anger was under better control. She didn't think she would get away with a second strike. Best not push her luck.

"Why?" she asked Him when the silence became too much. God looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Why don't they know they have free will?" She couldn't let it go.

"Did anyone tell you that you had free will? No? My children just assumed they did not have it. I just never corrected their assumption."

That didn't sit well with her and she told him so. God just shrugged as if it was no big deal and to Him it probably wasn't. She decided to ask her next question.

"Why did you want Lucifer to rebel?" That was the bigger question, the one that filled her with pain for the man she loved.

"That is part of what I wished to speak with you about." God began, not looking at her but continuing to walk. Where they were going, she had no idea. She didn't even know if they were actually moving since the scenery never changed.

"Let Me tell you a story. In the beginning, there was the void. I eventually came along and soon met another like Myself but much more beautiful. We came together and the universe was born." His voice was even and devoid of emotions as if He was simply stating facts. "The Goddess and I decided to make a family and created our children. There were many of them, each unique in their own way. But when Samael and his brother Michael were formed, I knew they were special."

She thought to call Him out again about the name but didn't because in this story Lucifer was Samael so she remained quiet.

"Samael had the ability to create, Michael to destroy. One created the stars, the other formed them into galaxies. It was them, at My direction, that created the heavens and all the heavenly bodies, including Earth. They were a might pair. And they were so close. Closer to each other than to their other siblings which was not surprising since they would be considered twins." God smiled at the memory of when they were all young and newly formed.

"When we created the universe, it also created chaos by dividing the void into Light and Dark. This unstable chaos demanded balance or it would revert back to the void, causing the End of everything. I was able to control the Light but someone else needed to control the Dark. That is where Samael came in." They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

He finally looked at her.

"I don't understand," she told Him.

"I needed him angry, very angry, so I started being hard on him. Driving a wedge between him and his brother, showing preference for one and criticizing the other until Samael finally had enough and told Me 'No' for the first time. He used his free will to refuse Me. He berated Me for ignoring him, ignoring them all, and used that hurt and anger to fuel his fury against Me. And finally, My plan worked and he rebelled."

Yes, it worked, it worked too well in her opinion and as a mother she couldn't believe that a parent would purposely hurt their child just so they would do something you wanted them to do.

"Why did You have to hurt him? Couldn't You just have asked him to help You? Told him what You needed him to do without pushing him away and abandoning him?" Tears were pooling in her eyes and her anger was making her hands shake. She squeezed them closed so she wouldn't hit him again.

"No, I could not. You see, he needed to be wrathful so the Darkness would be drawn to him, so he could contain it and ultimately control it. He was the only one of My children with the gift of creation. That gift would give him power over the Darkness."

She still didn't understand but she probably never would. He was talking about things on a cosmic level.

"So, You are saying that You needed Lucifer to control the Darkness. To create Hell?" Hey, it was a stab in the dark, no pun intended.

"Precisely. I am so glad you have grasped the essentials." God smiled at her like she had just solved the mystery of the universe. And perhaps she had, she didn't know.

"He did create Hell and much like how I created his siblings to help Me manage the Light, he created the demons to help him manage the Darkness." They had once again started walking as He continued.

"I had started My new project, humanity, by this time and as always the void demanded balance. Humanity would be finite but their souls were eternal and would either move toward the Light or toward the Darkness. It would be up to you all to decide which way you went based on your choices. But you had to be made aware that you had the ability to choose and once again Lucifer was My emissary."

The Garden of Eden, she thought to herself. She also noticed that He called his son Lucifer at this point, acknowledging the change from Angel to Devil.

"Lucifer encountered the female and gave her an option. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't MAKE her do anything merely presented her with a choice."

She thought He might have come to the end of His tale when He didn't speak again. Maybe He just was allowing her time to think about all that He had told her. She tried to wrap her mind around all that He had said but something just didn't feel right.

"So, that's it. You needed a Hell so bad humans would have a place to go? You hurt and manipulated Your own son just so You didn't have to deal with the Darkness yourself? I thought You were the all-knowing, all powerful God. I thought You could do anything." She had begun pacing back and forth; her physical activity mimicking her internal struggle.

"Light will always conqueror the Darkness; I could not bend it to My will. It simply fled when I tried." God informed her.

That gave her pause. Did God just admit that there was something He could not do? It was mind blowing. It also made her wonder why He was bothering to explain all this to her. What did it have to do with her?

"Why are You telling me this? What does it have to do with me?" she beseeched Him, finally looking into the infinite depths of His eyes.

"All in good time, my dear," God calmly told her. "The story I have told you so far happens every single time; in an infinite number of scenarios, Samael always, always, chooses to rebel and become Lucifer. No matter what changes may occur, either large or small, whether I interfere with him or not, the outcome is always the same. I have seen every conceivable variation of the story but the End never changes."

She waited.

"The Devil is inevitable."


	3. Chapter 3

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. _The Devil was inevitable_? That was – just sad and unfair. "Then what's the point? If Lucifer always choses to become the Devil then he doesn't really have free will. All his choices lead to the same end? How is that fair?"

Crying won out.

"Oh, but just think of the sheer number of choices one can make before the End.", He said, excitedly, "All those choices making incredible, wonderful, tragic and fulfilling life experiences. And isn't the journey more important than the end?"

She had no response. Again, she felt out of her depth. The point of life was the journey and not the end? She did not know how to answer that question but something about that saying struck something in her soul and a sense of déjà vu swept through her.

"This is lovely," God's voice took on an aspect of awe. She looked up at His non-sequitur and noticed that their surroundings were different.

They were standing in a forest with extremely tall trees and shorter flora covering the forest floor. Light was being filtered through the canopy creating rays of light that illuminated the ground. After looking around for a minute of two she recognized where she was and why the 'journey, not the end' phrase was so familiar.

When Chloe was a young girl, about the time she was turned 13, she was constantly arguing with her mother over auditions and dance class. Her mom wanted her to be the next star and she just wanted to hang out with her friends. The yelling matches sometimes became quite intense. Her father would often take her on camping trips just to separate the two. One of their favorite places was Sequoia National Park. They would spend the weekend and her father would insist on hiking most of the trails as a way of working off excess energy. Chloe used to grumble about how boring hiking was even if the view was nice at the end but her father made her actually pay attention to what she was walking through. When she did, she began to notice things she wouldn't have if she just stalked through the forest.

Flowers of every color and hue, animals that would scurry away as they progressed, music from bird songs, rays of sunlight illuminating the forest floor. There was beauty everywhere if you took the time to look. Once when they were standing at an overlook in the park, her father looked at her smiling face and told her, "See, as beautiful as this view is, sometimes it's more about the journey to get somewhere than the destination. Always enjoy the trip."

"What is this place?" God asked her, pulling her from her memories.

"I think it's supposed to be Sequoia National Park, but that's not where we are, are we?"

"No, not exactly but this is your creation. Whatever you think of, comes to be," He informed her.

"Are you saying that whatever I think of, happens?"

"Yes. Think of it as a nicer version of a hell loop." He was walking around the forest, looking at the plants and touching everything. It was like He had never seen it before.

She decided to test His assertions. She thought of a deer like the one she saw the last time she had visited the park. A rustling noise caused her to turn her head in time to see a small doe emerge from behind a nearby tree. She smiled and thought of a butterfly. Sure enough, a Monarch butterfly flittered in front of her before alighting on a fern leaf. The butterfly made her think of her daughter and she whirled around waiting for her daughter to step from behind a tree. She had a large smile on her face.

"She is not there. I am sorry, my dear, but the living cannot come here." God told her as He made His way back over to where she was standing, her smile fading.

"But what about the dead? Can they come?" she said, thinking about her father.

"Yes." It was a direct answer but something in the way He said it made her look at Him quizzically.

"You can draw the souls that reside in Heaven to you but that is only if you decide to stay."

"If I decide to stay? You mean I can go back?"

"Of course, you can. However, it comes at a price."

Whoa, that was a powerful statement to lay on her. She just looked at Him, waiting for Him to continue.

"Let us get back to what we were speaking of before," God redirected the conversation before sitting on a fallen tree, apparently even the Almighty got tired.

"We were speaking of the End and how it does not change, correct?" She nodded when He looked over at her, "The End is when chaos reverts back to the void, destroying everything in the universe. Heaven, Hell, Earth, everything. When it occurs, it is always because of a shift in the balance toward Darkness. In every single scenario that shift happens because Lucifer allows the Darkness to consume him."

Again, she had to take a minute or two to digest that. She didn't like where this story was going.

"But You said that Light would always defeat the Darkness. He is the Lightbringer. How is it possible for the Darkness to overtake him?", she asked.

"He surrenders his Light," God stated.

That made her heart skip a beat but really it didn't surprise her. She knew Lucifer's nature was always balanced on a razor's edge.

"That is just horrible." Sighing, she sat down on the log next to God. Neither spoke for some time. Finally, she said, "I still don't understand why You are telling me this."

She was tired. Everything that had happened to her and everything God had told her was making her so very tired.

"Well, the End does not change that is true, but there is one small caveat that I have not mentioned yet." He fell silent, still looking around at the forest.

"Well, what is it?" she demanded. Damn these Celestials and their flair for the dramatic.

"You, my dear," was all He said.

What the hell did that mean? What did she have to do with anything? She threw up her hands and walked away. She needed a moment.

When she had control of her emotions, she went back to Him and insisted, "You better start making since or so help me…" She let the sentence remain unfinished.

"As I said, the End is constant, it is just the timing that changes." She just kept looking at Him, eyebrow raised. He still wasn't making any sense.

"There are a few scenarios where Lucifer does not surrender to the Darkness for a very long time. In all of those situations, the End happens so far out in time that even I have trouble see it." He rose from tree to stand before her and looked at her until she met and held His gaze. She was mesmerized by the intensity of His stare.

"The only time that Lucifer delays the inevitable, is when you are in his life."

Oh, now that floored her for sure. It took several minutes before she could think again. Her mind had short circuited when He told her that. She, Chloe Decker, had the power to delay the End of everything? That – that was just too much.

"Believe Me, my dear, I have seen every outcome of every possible choice or change and it is always the same. The love My son bears for you keeps the Darkness at bay."

And it kept getting worse. That was too much responsibility for one person. She was reeling.

"This is why you allowed my mother to have a child, isn't it? The reason I'm a Miracle?!", she yelled at Him. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open when this thought rocketed through her already overtaxed mind.

She remembered when Lucifer had told her that little tidbit. It did not go well and now God was telling her that she was created so Lucifer would love her and delay the inevitable. If she weren't dead already, she'd curl up and die right now.

"Yes," He answered her plainly.

She sat staring off into the distance for a long, long time, her tears drying on her face. How much time, she didn't know, but she finally realized she had to move forward or risk going insane.

"Does Lucifer love me?" Her voice was low and barely above a whisper but she knew He could hear her. She was afraid of the answer.

"Yes."

Her heart stuttered at His response. She shut her eyes against more tears, trying to hold them back.

"So, does that mean that the End is delayed?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

"No," He countered.

"Please, just say what You mean. I…I don't know how much more I can take." Tears had begun to run over her cheeks again. She was helpless to stop them.

"My son loves you, truly, but it is only when you are with him, that the Darkness is pushed away."

She nodded. She knew it couldn't be simple. Nothing of significance ever was. She did want to go back, it was true, but then she remembered something God had said earlier.

"You said there was a price if I went back." She looked at Him. Her face resigned.

"There is indeed."


	4. Chapter 4

Lucifer screamed.

It was all he could do. She was gone; her spirit returning to the place from which it came. He felt her go. He looked skyward, the tears continuing to stream down his face.

He gently laid her down on the ground, brushing the hair from her face and bowed his head, not in prayer but in order to gather himself.

_Oh, the ones who did this would pay_, he thought to himself, letting his fury scorch the pain.

With singlemindedness, he rose to his full height. There was nothing for him here anymore. He no longer cared that Angels were forbidden from ending a human's life. He was no longer an Angel. He was the Devil and he would track these vile creatures down and end their life before dragging them personally to Hell. Oh, the fun he had planned for them. With a roar, he allowed the fire in his veins to burn through his angelic façade, ripping through his clothing as he embraced the Monster.

He closed his eyes in order to use his demonic senses to find those he was looking for. He no longer cared who saw him, let them know that the Lord of Hell was hunting and be afraid.

_Ah, there you are_, his senses picked up on three persons off to his left. _Time to play_. With a malevolent smile that showed far too many teeth, he turned and began to walk away.

At that same moment, Chloe took a large breath and started coughing.

Lucifer froze, afraid to move least he shatter into a million pieces. When she continued to cough and try to get her breath, he finally moved and was by her side before he had another thought.

"Chloe? Love?" He didn't know what he was saying. He was holding her up while she coughed out blood and drew in breath after breath. The coughing began to ease up but she still hadn't opened her eyes. Without his being aware of it, he had resumed his human appearance and began crying and kissing her on her face and in her hair. He was crushing her to his chest. He may have mumbled words of love or prayers of thanks, he knew not, all he knew was that his Detective, that his _Chloe_, had returned and he would never let her go again.

She pushed against his chest and he realized that he might have been holding her a bit to tightly so he eased back to look her in the face. She mumbled something that sounded like "shirt" but he wasn't sure.

"What?" he asked her, still caressing her face.

"No…shirt," she said, her voice breathy.

He looked down and saw that indeed his shirt and jacket were no more, torn to shreds when he – transformed.

"Apologies, Detective." he said with a relieved laugh.

She opened her eyes and he looked into her sea-green orbs and was mesmerized. Her eyes were the most breathtaking thing he had seen in a long, long time.

"I thou..," he had to stop and clear his throat, "I thought you died."

"I did," her voice was weak but it was music to his ears. "I got better," and then she smiled.

He laughed and kissed her, too happy that she was with him to worry about what she thought of him for kissing her. When he raised his head, she was smiling so he didn't think she minded. He caressed her face while his eyes roamed over her features, drinking her in. But then what she said finally penetrated his shocked brain.

His smile froze and he reached down to lift up her shirt. He ran his hands over her stomach below the vest. It was as he feared. There was no wound. No wound at all.

"He sent you back, didn't He?" His insides turning to ice.

"Yes," she said, her voice getting stronger, "but it isn't what you think." He didn't say anything, his face blank. "Please, Lucifer, I can explain but not right now. Right now, we have to get out of here. Those guys could come back."

"Let them." His voice was cold and menacing, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Just help me up so we can leave. We'll put out a BOLO and deal with them later." She had grabbed his arm, demanding his attention. "Please," she begged him.

Something in her voice finally broke through his rage and anger. She needed him. He would defer punishment for a while, but only because she asked it of him.

He helped her up and steadied her while she regained her balance. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was covered in blood. She couldn't go home like this.

"I really should keep a change of clothes in the car," she mumbled.

He heard her and made a suggestion. "Come to the Penthouse. You can change before you go home."

"Change? At your place? Change into what?" How was that helpful?

"I can get you a change of clothes. Trust me." She had always trusted him, why should now be any different.

"Okay," she agreed.

Luckily, she had a blanket in her patrol car so she didn't have to worry about getting blood all over the sheets. The drive to Lux was tense and quiet. There was too much to say but she just couldn't right then and Lucifer was keeping his own counsel.

When they got to nightclub, Lucifer got her through the doors into the elevator without being seen. It helped that the place was dark and the patrons otherwise engaged. He directed her toward the bathroom once they got upstairs and told her he would be right back. She didn't question him but stripped out of her bloody clothes. She should probably just burn them.

She turned on the shower and while she waited for the water to get hot, she looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. There was blood on her stomach but no wound, not even a blemish. She remembered getting shot, remembered the feeling of her blood leaving her body, remembered dying. She closed her eyes and took a few breaths. She also remembered everything that happened AFTER she died. Shaking her head, she stepped into the shower.

When she emerged, her clothes were sitting on the bench next to the tub. 'When did he come in the room?', she thought to herself. He must have, but so quickly that she never heard or saw him. How he got her clothes, she didn't know but she had her suspicions.

She found him in the living room at the bar having a drink. He had changed his clothes as well. A drink seemed like a good idea.

"Can I have one of those?", she asked him, joining him at the bar.

"Of course," he told her and poured her a drink.

She took it and raised it to her lips. She normally didn't like whiskey but the stuff Lucifer drank was extra smooth and the burning feeling felt good going down her throat.

"Lucifer," she began, "do you remember what I said right before – before I died." She wouldn't try to deny that it actually happened. She died and came back.

"Yes," he looked at her, his eyes wary, unsure where she was going with this.

"I meant every word." That was another thing she would no longer deny. She loved him and wanted him to know it.

The change that came over his face was remarkable. His whole being lit up and he smiled a genuine smile, one she saw only rarely. Her heart swelled to see that smile.

"There is nothing in the world I love so well as you." As he spoke, he closed the distance between them to take her face in his hands. He ran his thumbs over her cheekbones and caressed her jaw with his fingertips. When his thumb reached her chin, he tilted her face up to his and kissed her.

It was as a gentle, tender, sensual kiss, a touching of lips to lips, with no thought to take it further. She brought her hands up to his face and gripped his head to keep him in place. Neither tried to increase the kiss to something more, both content to give and receive comfort from the other.

Just then Chloe's phone dinged signaling she had received a message.

Lucifer broke the kiss but continued to hold Chloe's face and rest his head against hers.

"I swear to Dad, one of these days I am going to throw that phone off the balcony."

Letting out a small laugh, she moved away from him and checked her phone. It was from Dan. She would get back to him later.

"Speaking of dear ol' Dad, it seems you met him, didn't you?" He had returned to the bar when she checked her phone and had poured another drink.

"Yes," there was no sense in denying it.

"What does he want?" He wasn't looking at her, instead he was staring at the mirrored back on the bar's wall. He threw back his drink and consumed it in one gulp.

She could tell by the set of his shoulders that this was going to be a touchy subject but she couldn't get into it right now. Soon though, she would tell him everything. He deserved to know.

"Lucifer, I will tell you everything. Everything that happened to me, just not right now. I need to get home and see Trixie. We need to close this case but I promise you, we will talk." She turned him and looked him straight in the eye. She should be freaking out after her experience but she wasn't. She was very calm. Even Lucifer's mercurial mood swings didn't faze her. She could almost laugh if it wasn't so serious.

"Very well. I'm coming with you." He moved toward the bedroom after he informed her of his decision.

"Wait? What?" she questioned, following him as he made his way to the closet.

"I love you, Chloe. I lost you tonight. I will not let you go again." He spoke while he packed a garment bag with some of his suits. "I am not asking for more than to be with you. I shall sleep on the couch if you wish. I do not care who knows I am with you. In fact, I want them to know." He finished packing and turned to face her.

She didn't think she could feel more love than she already did but she was wrong and the smile on her face let him know how happy she was.

"I want to be with you too, Lucifer. Let's go home."

It took two weeks to close their latest case. They found the perpetrators a few days after the events of the rail yard. Lucifer got a confession and if Chloe let him go a little more intense than she normally would, no one called her on it. She thought they deserved a little hell, they had shot and killed her, hadn't they?

During those two weeks, Lucifer barely left her side. He touched her more than before. A touch of the hand here, a brush of the shoulder there. He tended to place a hand on her lower back when they stood side by side. Everyone in the precinct noticed and the reactions were a mixed bag. Envious looks from some; enthusiastic approval from others. Chloe didn't care. Let them think what they would, she loved Lucifer and he loved her and that was all that was important.

Trixie was firmly in the enthusiastic approval group and hadn't stopped smiling for the last two weeks. Lucifer even seemed to become accustomed to having a child attached to his leg as soon as he walked in the door since he had stopped flinching. He would just pat her on the head, tell her 'hi' and wait for her to release him.

Dan wasn't happy at first but he came around when he saw how happy Chloe was. And she was happy, ecstatically so. Her experience had changed her. She had an inner calmness that never left her and that was fine with her.

Lucifer never brought up what happened to her nor did he insist on her telling him her story but she did find him staring at her as if he was trying to figure out some puzzle. How could she explain that she would know when the time came to tell him and that the time hadn't come?

One day she was sitting at her desk finishing up some paperwork. Lucifer was sitting in his usual chair, looking at something on his phone. She could feel the love she had for him spread through her body, warming her with a wonderful sense of rightness. For some reason, they had not had sex yet, although they slept together every night. He was content to simple hold her and she loved falling asleep to the beating of his heart. Neither tried to take it further. It was if both knew that there was one final barrier they needed to deal with before they took that step.

As if sensing her gaze on him, Lucifer looked up. She had a soft smile on her face and he could see her love shining in her eyes. It was a balm to his soul.

"It's time," was all she said. She didn't have to explain what she meant based on his expression.

"I'm all yours, Detective."


	5. Chapter 5

WARNING: This chapter contains strong language.

Lucifer sat in the passenger seat of the Detective's patrol car watching the scenery as it flew past the window. He didn't know where they were going, only that they would be gone for a couple of days. _Somewhere special_, she had said when she told him to pack. She also asked him if he had anything other than thousand-dollar suits to wear. That sounded ominous. He didn't even know where they would be staying but he trusted her and he would go along with anything as long as they were together.

Since she had returned to him, he had trouble letting her out of his sight. He stopped sleeping at the penthouse so he could spend every evening at her apartment. Even the Spawn didn't deter him. She was a part of the Detective's life therefore she became part of his as well.

He found that he needed to touch her often, to make sure she was real and not some dream conjured up from his grieving heart. She didn't seem to mind the contact. She even initiated some of the touches. Maybe she needed him just as much to ground herself to the here and now. Interacting with Divinity could have that sort of effect on the human psyche and meeting his Father was bound to leave the Detective a little untethered.

He shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable. He was wearing a pair of jeans with a soft pullover and his leather jacket. He hadn't worn the jacket in some time, not since early in their partnership. The Detective approved of his outfit if the look in her eyes was anything to go by when she picked him up.

Lately she had been insisting that he spend some time at Lux. Told him that he had a reputation to maintain and he should try and enjoy himself. Frankly, he didn't give a damn about his reputation anymore but he did eventually go a few times. He needed to keep an eye on the place after all, but he did not perform. He just stood by the bar, drinking and watching as the revelers danced, drank and enjoyed themselves. Even the most beautiful among them could not entice him. He would be polite but he still rebuffed their overtures. He returned to Chloe every night.

He had never been one to cuddle. All of his previous bedmates would either leave right after or if they were asleep, he would get up and occupy himself elsewhere. But with Chloe, it was different. Every night he would hold her close so he could feel her heartbeat, listen to her gentle breathing (yes, even her snores) and marvel at her all over again. He was not sleeping well; compelled to watch her, frightened that she would leave him if he wasn't vigilant. He didn't actually require much sleep but it was still starting to take its toll.

Now, sitting in her car, going Dad knew where and listening to the classical station she had found, he found himself drifting off before jerking back awake. Chloe reached over and grabbed his hand, sensing his need for contact and he finally let himself relax. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

He woke when she stopped the car. He blinked several times and tried to get his bearings.

"Where are we?", he asked her as he got out of the car and looked around the car park. They seemed to be at some sort of nature area.

"Sequoia National Park.", she told him as she went around and opened the trunk of the car. She reached in and pulled out a backpack.

"Why?" He really had no clue why she had come all this way just so they could talk and why did she need a backpack?

"'Cause this place is beautiful and peaceful and I have a lot of great memories associated with it." She opened the backpack and made sure she had what she needed.

"And best of all," she smiled at him," limited cell service." She shut off her phone but put it in the backpack anyway.

"What's that for?" He gestured to the pack.

"Just some essentials. Water, food, compass, flashlight." She shrugged at him while she put the pack on her shoulders and adjusted the straps.

"Are we going to need any of that? Seriously, Detective, I will be able to get us out of any situation.", he informed her. Did she really think he would allow them to get lost?

"It's best to be prepared." She began to walk toward the trailhead and called over her shoulder, "Come on, Lucifer. Nothing's going to bite you."

"I should say not. Animals are certainly able to recognize when a much larger predatory is in the area." He said, slightly offended but he followed her nonetheless.

An hour later, Lucifer was glad she had insisted that he wear the jeans and shoes better suited for rough terrain. His Christian Louboutin would be absolutely ruined by now but the Detective showed no signs of slowing down. It was like she was looking for something specific although he had no idea what that was. They had met a few others on the trail; families with young children, some serious hikers with packs and walking poles, a few solo visitors but no one recently.

Suddenly she stopped and looked around. Whatever she was looking for, she seemed to have found it. She walked off the trail for several feet before she turned and put the backpack down. It had been some time since they had seen another person. It was like they were the only two people in the Park.

"Would you like some water?", she asked him, pulling a bottle from the pack.

"No thank you." He tilted his head to the side and looked at her, frown lines forming between his eyes. He thought she was ready to tell him what happened to her. Maybe he was wrong?

She took a drink of the water. It felt good to get out of the city and hike in the woods. She really should have done this more with Trixie. Maybe she would in the future.

"Detective?" He was starting to worry she had changed her mind.

"When I died," she began, "I went – somewhere or nowhere, I'm not sure, but after a time someone joined me. It was your Father."

He nodded; he had figured that much out for himself.

"We talked. Well, He talked, I asked questions. But eventually, we found ourselves in a spot much like this." She gestured around the area they were in. It wasn't the same as her dream, vision, whatever, but it was pretty close. It even had a fallen tree that she was sitting on now.

"He told me about the beginning, about meeting your mother, creating the universe, your family." She looked at him. She could tell that he was not pleased with the subject but she was going to tell him everything, whether he liked it or not.

"Yes, yes, the Big Bang and all that." He sighed, exasperated.

She laughed a small laugh and continued, "Well, apparently, not only did they create your family but they also divided the nothingness into Light and Dark. By the way, why didn't you ever tell me that you had a twin brother?"

Lucifer went still. He really didn't want to answer that. He didn't even want to think about it but she was looking at him and expecting an answer.

"Because I hate the bloody bastard, that's why!" He couldn't keep the anger out of his voice.

"But your Father said you were close." She wondered if she should have said that when it became clear Lucifer wasn't happy with it but she wasn't sorry she had brought it up.

"Close?!" he shouted, beginning to pace, "You want to know HOW close, Detective? We were so close, that when Dad threw me out of the house, my BROTHER made sure I Fell by fucking STABBING me with his fucking SWORD!" He was screaming by the end of his tirade, eyes flaming, hands clenched, body trembling. The hold on his temper was tenuous at best.

Chloe knew she had gone too far, more than she meant too actually and went to him, hoping to calm him down.

"I'm sorry, Lucifer" she rushed to tell him. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry." She ached to touch him but she didn't know if he would welcome her touch. She let her hand hover over his arm.

"I should never have brought it up. Please, forgive me." she implored him, hoping he could see just how sorry she was.

He looked down into her upturned face. He could still feel the rage coursing through his body but his anger wasn't at her. That was a very old wound and she had no way of knowing how deep the pain went.

"There is nothing to forgive, Detective."

She was glad to see that the fire in his eyes went from a raging inferno to the soft glow of banked embers. She placed her hand on his arm then and watched as his eyes once more turned to the warm chocolate brown she knew and loved.

He took a deep breath and let the rest of his anger go. "So, tell me, Detective, did this little trip down memory lane have a purpose or was the Supreme Being just talking to hear His own voice?" He tried to bring a little levity to the situation.

"No, He had a purpose for telling me." She had moved to stand in front of him.

"Well, what was it?" He looked at her, smiling, thinking that she was teasing him.

"Ask him." she said, nodding her head toward something behind his left shoulder.

Before he could turn around, a voice rang out through the forest. A voice he had not heard in several millennia.

"Hello, My Son." God spoke.


	6. Chapter 6

WARNING: This chapter contains strong language.

Lucifer stiffened, his entire being becoming ramrod straight, but he did not turn around. After all this time his Father was there! What was worse, he spoke in the language of the Angels. A language he had not heard or spoken since his Fall. His wings itched to reveal themselves and his traitorous heart felt a burst of joy but he squashed those feeling, quickly, mercilessly. Using his wrath and incredible willpower to shut them down. Chloe had not moved from her position in front of him but she was still looking behind him. As so often happened when he found himself in an uncomfortable situation, Lucifer fell back on his irreverent charm.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Mighty Jehovah," Lucifer started, turning around, venom dripping with each syllable. "Yahweh, the Great I Am." He had finally turned completely and looked at his Father for the first time in eons. He was unsure what Chloe was seeing when she looked at the Almighty but Lucifer saw his Father in his true form. A being of light and space.

"Come to drag me back to Hell personally this time? Tired of sending my siblings to do Your dirty work?" With each question his voice got colder and angrier. "And You can address me in English. Wouldn't do to leave the Detective out, now would it? That's just plain rude."

"It is good to see you, My Son." God smiled, but He did speak in English.

Lucifer just stood there, glaring at God. His breath coming quick and shallow and he felt his fury simmer just below the surface.

"I am not here to take you anywhere nor have I sent any of your siblings to do so. Not in a great many years, at least." He replied. "Hello again, my dear," addressing Chloe for the first time.

"Why have You come?" Lucifer asked, teeth clenched, lips barely moving.

"Because she asked it of me."

"What?!" Lucifer gaped at Him. "She asked You to come and You do? You ignore Your children, Mum, for ages with not one word. I've begged, pleaded, raged at You for millennia and nothing, zilch, nada! And now You tell me that You are here because of SHE asked?" He gestured toward Chloe. He was yelling now but the literally thousands of years of pain and agony were spurring him on.

"Does it matter? I am here now," God said calmly. "Ask Me your question Lucifer."

That pulled him up short. He didn't expect his Father to address him as anything other than Samael. The fact that he used his preferred name had the effect of dampening the fires of his rage. He blinked several times, trying to decide what to ask. He had so many questions but really, there was only one.

"Why?" It was a small question but its significance was huge. Lucifer's voice was low and filled with pain.

"Chloe," God spoke to her before He answered Lucifer's question, "would you mind if I spoke to My Son in the Old language? It would be faster and more efficient. You know the story anyway." He looked back at His Son.

"No!" Lucifer exclaimed before Chloe had a chance to answer, "You will NOT address me in that language."

Chloe had come to stand near Lucifer in a subtle show of support. There was no way she was going to intervene between these two powerful beings but he was her partner, the man she loved and she was there for him alone.

"Very well," God said when no one else spoke, "In the beginning…"

"…. You always rebel and become Lucifer." God finished speaking, waiting for the fireworks to begin. He didn't have to wait long.

"The Devil is inevitable? Are You fucking kidding me?" Lucifer laughed a very unhappy laugh, "I have free will but it all ends the same way? That's just typical with You isn't it? Let them think one thing while it's something else entirely." Lucifer yelled, pacing while he did. "And the End is my fault? Thanks, Dad. Thanks, a fucking lot!" He was close to tears and he hated himself for it.

"All things must End, My Son. But there is a way to delay it." God waited for Lucifer to respond, wondering if he was even listening.

"What?" Lucifer looked at his Father, a sense of dread stirring in his lower abdomen.

God did not reply, He simply looked at Chloe.

Lucifer looked from his Father to Chloe then back to his Father. He was adding one plus one and not liking the answer he was coming up with.

"Is that why You created her? Why You put her in my path? Just so she could be a pawn in Your game?" The fury that had been simmering suddenly flamed up into a raging inferno. Fury on her behalf as well as his own. His eyes blazed and his body trembled. He clenched his fist in order not to strike the Almighty.

"I only intervened so that Chloe would be born but I never placed her in your path. You and she are always drawn to each other, I had very little to do with it." God told him. While Lucifer raged, God's voice never rose a conversational tone.

"So, You admit that You created her for me?" So, it was all true. Chloe's feelings weren't real. Pain seized his heart and squeezed.

"Yes, but Son, that does not mean that her feelings are not real." God said as if He could read Lucifer's thoughts and perhaps, He could.

"How can You say that? If she has been created for me, then she has no choice."

"That is not true. Have you not wondered why she is the only one, the only human, immune to your powers?" God asked him, His voice calm and assured. "If she developed feelings for you or you for her, it would be based on your own wants and desires and not because of the effects of your powers." God explained, but really that should have been evident.

Was what his Father said true? Dare he believe Him? But Lucifer knew lies, in all their forms and variations and he knew what his Father said was the truth. He looked at Chloe. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears but she also knew the validity of his Father's words.

"And You sent her back to me?" His voice soft and reverent as he continued to look at her.

"No, that was her choice." God replied, "I told her everything so that she could make an informed decision. She chose to return even knowing the price."

Lucifer's eyes snapped to his Father's. Price? What price? He looked back to Chloe, "What have you done?" his shocked voice barely more than a whisper. Before she could reply, he rounded on his Father, "What did You do? You manipulative bastard, WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Chloe put her had on his arm, getting his attention. She knew he would react like this but it was her choice. He had to know that.

"Your Father did nothing. I chose to come back. Knowing everything, I chose you." She let all the love she felt for him show in her face.

A memory surfaced, Linda asking him what he truly desired. He remembered exactly what he said_, I want her to choose me_. Seems he got his wish.

"What price did you have to pay?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew whatever his Father asked of her it would be nothing good.

"My mortality."


	7. Chapter 7

_Before, somewhere in the nowhere_

"Your mortality." He said gently, almost respectfully.

"What do you mean?"

"If you return, you will return as an immortal. You will not die. You will be the same as Lucifer in that respect although you will not be an Angel. No wings, I am afraid." There was a small smile on His face. "You will also not be able to traverse the Celestial planes alone. You may remain on Earth or visit Hell with Lucifer's help."

She listened to what He said and tried to understand. Then she noticed a flaw in His logic, "But what if I get another Angel to take me? Then I can visit Heaven, right?"

"No. If you return, it is for My Son and your fate will become irrevocably joined with his. Lucifer is still banned from the Silver City. You too, will not be able to visit. You will never be able to see your loved ones after they die nor the ones currently in Heaven."

Oh, so that was it. Go back and never see her loved ones in the afterlife or stay and allow Lucifer to fall into Darkness. Return and watch her loved ones grow old and die while she never does or remain and allow the End to happen sooner. Although she was still fuzzy on when the whole 'End' would happen, that wasn't the important point. She had a choice to make.

"I need to think about this," she said as she got up from the tree, her body shaking.

"Of course, my dear. Take all the time you need. I will be here."

After a while she came back to Him. She had questions and she demanded answers, she yelled, she cried but, in the end, she knew what her decision would be. There was never any doubt.

"I want to go back.", she told Him, her voice confident.

"Are you sure? You will not be able to change your mind later."

"I'm sure.", she nodded her head before straightening her shoulders and looking God in the face, "But I have one condition."

God looked at her, waiting for what she would ask.

"That you be there when I tell him. I think you owe him that at least." She really didn't care if he came or not but she hoped he would, for Lucifer's sake. It would not change her mind either way. "Will you come?"

God seemed to consider her request then agreed. He would be there.

"Thank you. Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Nothing, My Daughter." God smiled at her and placed His hand upon her head.

_Now_

"No!" Lucifer stared at her in disbelief. "Chloe you cannot do that. I won't allow you." He stalked over to his Father, "You take it back. You have to take it back!"

"I cannot. She made her choice."

"Lucifer, please, you have to understand. I did not make this decision lightly. I thought about it a great deal," her voice insistent, demanding he listen to her. "You know time moves differently there, I really did think long and hard. He," she looked over toward God, "answered my questions, allowed me to rant and rave but never once did he try to coerce or manipulate me. This is truly my choice."

"What about your daughter, your mother, even your father? Don't you want to see them, be with them always?" He had to make her understand, she didn't know what she was getting herself in to. "You don't know what immortality is like. The shear vastness of time, you will go mad. Look what happened to Cain!"

"Good thing you will be there to help me." She smiled at him, hoping to ease the tension with her little joke.

"She can visit, though, right?" he turned and asked his Father who had been silent. "She will be allowed in the Silver City."

"I am sorry, no. Her fate is now united with yours."

"No, no, no, no." Lucifer had moved away from her, away from them both. He had to think. He paced, hands in his hair. He had to save her from herself.

Before he could say anything, she was before him, grabbing his jacket, claiming his attention. "Do you want to know why I came back? Why I chose immortality?" she asked him, looking him straight in the eye. "It was because whenever I thought about my loved ones, my friends, I knew that as much as I would miss them, they would have each other. But you. You have no one. I could never be happy as long as you were alone. I am already accustomed to not seeing those who have died ever again, so why should this be any different?"

She stopped, tears running down her face but her love was radiating from her entire being. He had not said a word since she began, just looked at her like he couldn't understand her or know what to make of her words.

"Lucifer," her voice softening, "you have died for me. Several times by my reckoning. Let me live for you." When she finished, she raised her hand to cup his cheek, willing him to accept her choice.

Lucifer's knees went weak and he nearly fell. She chose him, chose to come back to him, to remain at his side and he was flabbergasted. No one had ever shown him that kind of love or support. To give up everything to be with him, he was not worthy of such devotion and he told her so.

"Yes, you are, Lucifer, because I say you are. To me." She placed her hand over her heart and she could feel it beating ninety to nothing.

He crushed her to his chest and covered her mouth in a searing kiss. All the pain, joy, uncertainty, and love that he had been feeling for the last couple of weeks and, indeed today, fueled the passion he put into the kiss.

Chloe met his questing tongue with a demanding one of her own. She had been afraid he would reject her once he knew what she had done, what she had given up for him but she was glad she had trusted him and now she allowed herself to give him everything she had. All the love and happiness she had been feeling since she had returned to him. She poured everything into her kiss.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for quite some time and had actually forgotten that anyone else was there, let along God Himself, but broke apart when He cleared His throat.

"I am glad to see things are working out for you two," God said, coming closer to them both, "but it is time for me to leave. Chloe," He looked at her smiling, "You have done well, My Daughter. Lucifer," he turned to address His Son, "for what it is worth, I am sorry for the pain you have endured. Although it was necessary, no parent enjoys seeing their Child suffer." God turned to walk away.

To say that Lucifer was shocked by God's apology would be the understatement of the century. He was absolutely stunned. The one thing he had ever wanted from his Father, He had given, freely. Something deep within his innermost being fell silent for the first time in, well, he couldn't remember when. He was still angry at what happened, angry about the unfairness of it all but for the first time in his long life, he thought he might just be able to move on.

"Father," he called out, his voice almost reverent, almost.

God stopped and looked back, waiting for His Son to continue.

"Just so you know, I'm still not returning to Hell." He was through with that life. He had a new life with Chloe.

"It is still your responsibility, Lucifer. Nothing has changed." God's voice was firm and final.

"Why not?!" Lucifer wasn't going to let God leave without getting a few more answers.

"The Darkness must be contained. You are its master. It is unavoidable." God informed him, continuing before Lucifer could object. "But no one said you had to STAY there." He gave His Son a look and a slight smile.

"So, You will leave me alone, leave us alone," Lucifer said, including Chloe, "as long as I continue to be the Devil, contain the Darkness?"

After a moment, God replied, "Yes."

"Then you have a deal." Lucifer held out his hand and grinned at his Father for the first time since He had arrived.

God laughed, a deep musical sound that spread throughout the forest. Taking His Son's hand, he shook it and said, "As you wish." He winked at Chloe.

She had to smile at that and a confused Lucifer looked between the two. No matter, he had his deal in place and no one reneged on a deal with the Devil.

"I think I may stay down here for a while." God began, looking around at the forest. "I have never seen the world from this perspective." With that He turned, walked behind a tree and disappeared.

Lucifer lifted Chloe up and spun her around, laughing with her as she squealed. He was happy. For the first time in his very long life, he looked forward to the future, to a life with her. His Chloe. She had her arms around his neck and her whole body exuded joy. He never wanted to let her go. Now he never had to.

"Let's go home," he said and sealed their fate with a kiss.


End file.
